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Sri Babaji's Message and of Universal Brotherhood
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Th<ough Mehe< League· Vol. VII
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March to June 1938
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Nos. 1 & 2
\Vhere is ignorance : \1\ihere sorrow for him who has seen the One in i\lany ?- Yajur Veda.
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T hat is real service \ \'here there is no thought of self at ail. SHI M E HER BAllA•
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[Sri Baba: Born February 25, 1894: became Sadguru before 1921. ]
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CONTENTS
1
The Trumpet call of Meber League Baba's Message Sri Baba's where-abouts
2
Ourselves
2
Sri Baba's 44th Birthday
2
Sri Meher Baba-By Dr. C. D. Deshmukh, M.A., Ph.D.
13
Sri Meher Baba-By Countess Nadia Tolstoy
15
Thoughtc; for the month of June
21
Meher Asramam
21
Meher League
21
Our exchange
22
THE MEHER GAZETTE Editor:
C. V. Sampath Aiyangar,
_(Late of Madras Judicial Service)
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C. V . SAMPATH AIYANGAR , 6, Meher Asramam, Brahmin Street, SAIDAPET, (Madras·)
SPECIAL 44TH BIRTHDAY ISSUE.
THE
MEHER GAZETTE A Bi-monthly review devoted to the Propagation of Sri Babaji's Message and of Universal Brotherhood Through Meher League. Vol. VII
]
March- June 1938
[
No 1-2
THE TRUMPET CALL OF MEHER LEAGUE
1 \Vake up brothers and sistersCast off the errors of ages, and meditate on the sacred Mantram of Universal Brotherhood, and practise it. 2 ¡ Be loyal to our Saintly Patron Sri Sadgnru Meber Baba, 3 Live His Life : Practise and preach social harmony. 4 Work with absolute freedom of conscience, with Sri Babaji as your Guide and Master. 5 Be the soldiers of Truth. 6 Work for the spiritual welfare of the world.
BABA'S MESSAGE Do nothing even to please Me, or the world, against the dictates of your own conscience. Unhesitatingly do what you think to be ¡ right and proper, despite the opposition of the world. Let your mind be as firm as a rock that resists strong blasts of wind from all sides. I am for all. Think and
s~y
only that which you wish to become true.
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MEHER GAZETTE
SRI BABA'S WHEREABOUTS
Sri Babaji is now in Panchgani (Satara . District, Bombay Presidency). Some of His Western disciples are with Him,
Ourselves: This little child- Meher Gazette- of our dear Baba, is six years of age. Its motto is "That is real service where there is no thought of self at all". We hnve been doing His ·work free from fear, anxiety and care, and fre_e from the bondage of superstition. We feel the presence of His Divine band leading, guiding and protecting us and this wonderful Power is to us divinely beneficent. Our contact with the great Ma<>ter has made our lives infinitely richer and more abundant than in the past, and we feel that in His Presence we are one with the Divine· He is in us, and we understand the truth of the statement "The Divinity that shapes our ends is in ourselves". Recently we celebrated our Master's 44th Birthday• May we celebrate many more such birthdays is our humble prayer• We offer to Him our garland of Love. Hate·seecl, says a great writer, cannot produce a Love-flower. As that writer says, what a comforting and sustaining thought it is that an Infinite Power presides over us which is kinder to us than we are to ourselves, kinder than we can be to those we love besh a force which is always ready to heal our hurts and to restore us, no matter how we have sinned in violating Nature's Law,
SRI BABA'S 44th BIRTHDAY
The 44th Birthday of Shri Meher Baba was celebrated this year at Meherabad, near .\hrnedn;~gar, on Sunday the 20th of February. The celebration lasted for three days from 19th to 21st and about 500 devotees participated in it, besides about 5000 of the· \·illagers of every caste, creed and denomination from all around the district, who also participated in a public feast that was given on the 21st. The actual date of birth (according to Zoroastrian calendar) this year fell on the 15th of February, but in order to make it convenient for the devotees coming from distant places and towns like Bombay, Poona, Nasik etc., Every life follows its ideal.
SRI BABA'S 44th BIRTHDAY
3
Sunday the 20th was fixed for the celebration. It was after years that Shri Baba's birthday was celebrated at Meherabad on a semi-public scale. The programme on the 20th included the usual customary items of interest for the devotees, i. e. washing of the feet with milk and saphron, then the "Darshana" for all, and two very interesting, speeches by two of the Master's devotees in legal profession, who knew him for years; music and Einging entertainments by a party of musicians and singers from Navsari and Gazai-Kawali by a Mohamedan singer, as also a nice treat in singing by a songstress from Poona specially for the ladies group. Five Of .the Western disciples of the Master also participated in this. They had all lived wi tb the Master in the "Meher Retreat" at Nasik, last year. Three of these- Princess Matchabelli, Miss. Davey and Miss. Gayley-came back with the Master when be returned from his tenth tour to the West in November last, and two others-Mrs. Patterson and Mrs. Gayley-returned very recently from New York on the 15th and 17th of February, just io time for the birthday celebration.
Details of the Programme : Devotees from different places-BoJTibay, Poona, Nasik, Nagpur, Navsari, Karachi, Kolhapur, Madras and other places, began to pour in from the 17th¡ Larger parties began to arrive on the 18th and 19th. They were all received at the Ahmednagar station by a staff of devotees specially appointed for the purpose, with motor cars and buses engaged specially for the transportation of visitors between Ahmednagar station and the Meherabad colony, a distance of over three miles, On arrival at Meherabad, they were divided into groups. Ladies were sent up on the hill with female guides and attendants, to stay there with the group of Baba' s lady disciples and devotees, while the gents were kept at Meherabad colony for the males, and accommodated in several huts and tents built temporar)ly for . the accommodation of the large number of devotees arriviDg .from upcountry. One of the special features of this year's celebration was the arrangement of a special and separate programme for the group of ''ladies" only who were accommodated in a big "shamiana" (tent) erected specially for them on the hill at Meherabad, where the intimate group of Shri Baba's lady disciples live, quite apart and aloof for years in specially constructed residential quarters where no male has access. There is a Divinity behind our legitimate desires,
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MEHER GAZETTE
As Shri Baba's devotees and readers of this magazene are already aware, this special gronp of lady disciples of Shri . Baba have been living a life of absolute seclusion and simplicity on this lonely hill in a cemented structure which was origina.lly used as water tanks for the Military troops kept in a camp on this spot during the last world··war. It is signi ficant that a place once utilised and connected with war, which implies nothing but cbaos and destruction, should now be utilised as a sacred abode of peace and tranquilit_Y by a Spiritual Master and his group ofclose disciples. It thus provides a wonderful example of how a Master brings about a transformation not only in the lives of human beings but also in lifeless objects, and lonely spots of devastation and desolation are transformed into sacred places of pilgrimage, It is also note -worthy tbat this spot where no ladies could in the beginning step in during its military occupation in the last war period should now be the residential quarters for "ladies" only where no male is allowed access. It is a lovely spot overlooking the beautiful panoramic view of the land!'cape and hills all around for miles, ideally suited for a spiritual ashram on a secluded spot, where Shri Meher Baba's first spiritual Ashram-the Meher Ashram-was established and conducted in 1927, and where Shri Baba was pleased to play his Divine part and depicted some of his amazing Divine powers by awakening the fire of Love Divine in the dear little inmates of the Ashram-which forms a most remarkable episode in th'e life 'and working of Shri Baba, and hardly ever witnessed elsewhere• . I.t was on this hill that a very interesting programme of birthday celebrations was observed by about 200 of the ladies group of Shri Baba's devotees, consisting of all classes and creeds Hindus, Mohamedans, Parsis, !ranis, Christians, Eastern as well as Western-who came from different places specially for the occasion. The entire programme was superb, which, in the words of those who saw and enjoyed. vividly reminded all of the times of Lord Shri Krishna and His beloved gopies, when no gopie ever thought she belonged to the weaker-female-sex in the presence of her beloved "Kanaiya", whom they alllovad, worshipped and adored as the Lord of Love and Divinity, beyond and above sex. It is a most astounding fact, characteristic of this age of civilization and freedom of thought and action, that people of all deno~inations in life, with diversions poles apart in their modes and manners of Jiving and in their religious and communal customs and observances, should thus meet together under one common Cause and one Master, and true to the gospel of his teaching of Love, Truth and Brotherhood of humanity, live
Wealtll is created mentally first.
SRI
~ABA'S
44th BIRTHDAY
5
together as members of one family. It clearly shows the tremendous influence of the Master who brings about this amazing transformation not only in the ideals of those who come into his contact, but also in their lives. After the ladies had finished their special programme on the hill from 7 to 10 in the morning, they all came down in procession with Shri Baba to the big "Shamiana" below-the "Sai Darbar", named after the great Spiritual Master Shri Sai Baba of Sherdi. Here, hundreds of other ladies and gents of the intimate maodali (group) and other devotees were awaiting to have the sacred "darshana" of their beloved Master and to commence their programme for the day, to celebrate his birthday, It was a lovely sight to behold the Master, beautifully dressed, walk down the hill in procession with the Western and Indian ladies in their multi-coloured Saris, like the Lord of Creation descending on the earth, and reminded the spectators of the Lord Shri Krishna coming down with his dear gopies. Then commenced the washing of his sacred feet with milk and saphron, individually in turns, first by the ladies including the Westerners, and then by the gents¡ This is a typically popular custom symbolic of a mark of reverence and great spiritual significance, observed since ages by the devotees of Saints and Masters, and continued even in this age in spite of adverse criticisms of scoffers and others whose ignorance of the great spiritual significance of this particular form of worship is to be lightly ignored and pitied rather than vindicated. "Arati", a pnyer specially composed and dedicated to the Master, in Love and adm iration his devotees have for him, was then sung by all. The harmony and ringing melody of this Song of the Heart filled the atmosphere with Lo , e and devotion that it breathed, This was followed by the next most important item of the whole function-of having the Master's "darshana"-which in other words is the paying of reverential and loving obedience to the beloved Master, and which may be said to be the most important and the only object of a visit to the Master by thousands of his devotees, comin~ from hundreds of miles, at times on foot. Laying one's head at the Master's feet is not only significant of a mark of reverence for the Master, but is also symbolical of a surrender to his will and order by the devotee, which is the first essential step of the Path of Discipleship. It signifies again that the devotee, in laying his or her head at the Master's feet, lays his or her "sanskaras" (impressions of actions) of the past,-whether of sin or of virtue at the feet of the Master, who, from that moment,assumes all We are made for grand things.
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MEHER GAZETTE 路
responsibility for all the devotee's acts of omission and commission, of the past, present as also of the future, provided of course that' the surren路 per is sincere and obedience to the Master's will and ,injunctions thereafter volunteered. In thus assuming the grave responsibility for all the acts of his numerous devotees, the Master is fully aware not only of the great and small qualities but also of the weaknesses and shortcomings of those coming under his guidance, and with his Infinite Knowledge and Powers, guides and moulds the destinies of all these as deemed best in His Infinite Wisdom. B1;1t for all that, it must be remembered, the Master must be Perfect Himself. Otherwise, there is risk-of falling for both-the Master and the disciple-more for the one who poses himself as a Master in assuming a responsibility far beyond his capacity, and less for the devotee in being deluded or misguided by an imperfect guide or Guru~ With the longing continued, however, the devotee is bound eventually to come round a Perfect one, even after disillusions and pitfalls. For those who are imperfect, yet pose themselves as Gurus and assume responsibilities of which they are incapable , fate plays havoc in reactions which are unthin路kable, bringing intolerable sufferings in wake, until they eventually submit themselves to a Perfect One. In short, there is no guidance without a Guru, no redemption without a Redeemer, no salvation without a Saviour, who incarnates himself from time to time for the spiritual uplift and salvation of humanity. 路 T9 come again to the birthday celebration, it is chiefly the "darshana" in the sense of a personal meeting which hundreds of the Master's devotees have been craving for a long time ever since they met him last, which in some cases may be years before. During this period the longing for the meeting hac; intensified every new day, so that the very sight of the beloved Master, even from a distance, fills one with a bliss inexplicable. The ecstasy of a personal meeting and having a devine embrace with the beloved is undescriba.ble. It is like the pouring of a cup of bliss into one's very being. These are experiences that are essentially personal and subjective and hence could never be explained by word of mouth or in writing. Rather, these are too personal and sacred, and must be personally felt to be explained. How could one explain the great joy of meeting even on earth of a beloved, after a long separation, or of a parent meeting a dear child, or of dear friends meeting each other after a long absence or separation ? And if such personal sentiments and deep feelings of meeting with ordinary human being, however dear, are so inexplicable for words, how much more so and infinitely impossible is the ta3k of describing the ecstasies of a personal We are made for abundance.
SRI BABA'S 44th BIRTHDAY
7
meeting and embrace with a Divine Being who is Himself the personification of Love and the beloved idol of thousands who LoV,e, worship and adore Him? And a personal embrace with a Perfect One like Sbri Baba-the Divine beloved of thousands of his loving disciples and devotees-is an exper;ence one can never forget in life. It vibrates and revivifies every nerve of the one who is held in that blessed embrace, which is a rare privilege indeed, to be felt to be enjoyeq. With the direct touch of the Master's personality which radiates Love and Divinity, Love Divine is directly injected and enters into the very being of those who have the rare privilege to have that loving embrace, hence an experience privileged to very few. The very first of these simply stupifies one, and one loses all consciousness for a long time till the intoxication subsides and he begins to realise the ineffable bliss: of it, and longs for the moment when he could have that blessed privileg~ again. With every embrace, one gets something anew. Such is the beauty and joy of a Divine embrace which thousands have personally experienced and could vouschafe in· words that baffle description· It is one of these divine embraces by the great Spiritual Master• Hazrat Baba Jan of Poona, abruptly given to Merwan, then a Persian boy of 18 studying at college, which tram:formed him instantaneously into a Divine Being, and later entitled him for the sublimest and most revered distinction of a Perfect Master-Meher Baba-as he is recognised ever since, and loved, worshipped and adored by thousands of his disciples, devotees and admirers all over the worlc;l, irrespective of caste, or creed or nationality, Eastern as well as Western. Strange as it may seem to the world, but not a strange phenomena at all for the Master's disciple3 and devotees and nothing at all for the Master Himself, the personal touch, even of a shake-band or a pat on the back and the loving embraces given by Him have transformed scores of the sceptics of the West, who could never have believed ·this; but for the person.al experience they have, and who love and adore him even today. This is Mastery-This is Divinity in Love. This is Unity in diversity, in a bond ever unseparable,-tbe magic of the Divine touch that unites the individual with the Universal. It needs no words, no explanaticn. It is the language of the heart that speaks more than volumes, in silence. The give-a.nd-take of this sublime game of Divinity has no self nor selfinterest, as in ordinary earthly transactions with always a tinge of self in them. The gift Divine is ever selfless by the Divine Beloved to those wbe are in need and who see'k and thirst for it. Without thirst, hunger or longing, nothing could interest one, even in the world of. matter. ·And We are not made for poverty.
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MEHER GAZETTE
without longing, search and effort, nothing could be achieved even on the material plane· Much more i!.' this so with this gift Divine. It is given to those who have been thirsting and longing for it for years, in cases for lives• A farmer never sows seeds on a barren soil, nor does he throw these on rocks. He selects and prepares the soil first. The Divine Shepherd most vigilantly preserve.; the seeds of the Divine spark, and distributes it most discriminately to those alone who have longed for and patiently waited for years for same and could appreciate, digest and grow in these. That is way this privilege is so rare and destined to very few, true, loving and devoted souls, whose "karmasanskaras'' of the past bring them in contact with Divine Beings and Masters like Shri Baba. To associate this act and expression of a pure, Divine Love with any impuritv of sex-idea or an embrace actuated by sex impulse is the grossest perversion of the faculty of 'thinking-·God's greatest gift to mankind and bespeaks utter ignorance of life and experiences beyond the physical. After this loving game of the give-and-take between the Divine beloved and his lovers, the gathering was given a treat in songs by a few singers-amateurs from the Ahmednagar school of singing-who had offered t~emselves to sing before the Master on his birthday, songs of Love, and devotion that quite fitted in with the atmosphere prevailing at the moment. The final and rather most ir1structive items of the programme were the splended speeches. delivered by Mr. Angal Pleader, the famous speaker of the district on religious, scriptural and spiritual subjects on important occasions and religious holidays, and then by Mr. Dhakephalker, another pl~ader, now practising in Rahuri, and one of Baba's very loving and staunchest devotees. Both knew Baba. for years- We propose to publish these elsewhere in this issue. So, leaving the details, we shall just mention a few words in passing, that these' as usual, were full of expressions of Love and devotion both felt for the dear Master, in whose conta•ct during the past many years they had learnt many a lesson in life and had also witnessed sJme wonderful experiences that held them always in reverence, love and devotion to the Master• Some of these, they narrated in the language of the heart, with deep feelings of gratitude and admiration too great for words. The tributes given by Mr. Angal to the Master for his selfless services in the cause of humanity and to the poor and the destitute in particular, and the eulogy given by Mr. Dhakephalker from a persona} Lack and want do not fit man's divine nature.
SRI BABA'S 44th BIRTHDAY
9
experience he had after his contact with the Master, impressed the audience deeply¡ The spontaneous expressions of Love and admiration as they deeply felt for the Master and gave out with all the force of their souls, filled the hearts of the hearers with tears of joy and love. And all the while, He !'at there, with a Divine expression on His face beeming with radiance and lustre. with a crown of flowers specially made by his devotees and placed on his head-a veritable Lord of Love surcharging the entire atmosphere with the Divinity He radiated, transforming the world around into a veritable heaven of Peace and Bliss unforgettable,-a sight for the gods to envy -unforgettable in its impression, unapproachable in its purity ! X
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Shri Baba was then taken to his special cabin where he gave private interviews individually, one after the other in quick succession, while the others had lunch in the dining-hall mandap. Some of the visitors who had to attend offices and urgent work next day, left by¡ the night trains, but a majority stayed here for the Master 's "sahavas" (company and atmosphere) for the next day.
Monday the 21st-Feast The day after the birthday celebrations were over was fixed for a public feast to the people of eve1 y caste and crP.ed in the surrounding districts. Cr9wds began to pour in since 9 a. m. and . with it star-ted the serving of the meals which continued throughout the day. About 5 000 men, women and children of all classas, creeds and denominations-rich and poor alike-from the surrounding districts participated in this. During meals, Shri Baba personally distributed "ladus" (sweet¡meat balls) to these participients with one hand and touched the feet of each recipient with the other, -a strange procedure for him as a Master towards those who worship him and come for his "darshana" and prostrate themselves in reverence. Yet Shri Baba has been pursuing this procedure since last year, when on a similar occasion of his birthday observed at Nasik, he touched the feet of about fifteen thousand people, to wh~m he distributed grain and cloth also with the "ladus" which he personally distributed. This gesture on his part for the last two years seems to have some special reason of -his own, perhaps significant of the time, in his inner working, for the good of humanity. Thus the participients of this year's birthday feast had Gods' children were not made to grovel
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MEHEI~
GAZETTE
the double benefit of having his sacred "darshana" a!1 also of having a sumptuous feast which they all relished, with the special grace of having their feet touched personally by the Master in addition.
Visitors Depart : Private interviews to hundreds left off yesterday commen.:ed since early hours of the morning. This also forms an unquestionable part of the programme, as everyone naturally expects to have some talk with the Master and have a few words of his advice and guidance on various problems in life- material as well as spiritual. Most of the devotees left by different trains in different directions, so that by the end of the day, the colony appeared rather deserted and empty after the felicitations of the last two days. How painful each felt to leave the dear Master and his Holy precincts and the beautifully pure atmosphere that breathed Divinity, is an experience known to those who had it. The joy of Meeting and separation always go hand-in-hand, Each loving meeting is always followed by the pinches of separation. heart must feel and experience both. Love could not Love if it had no paradox in suffering. One is as essential as the other. Suffering tempers the hearts of lovers so that they can stand firm and face the crosscurrents of life eternal, . to which the Love newly injected and inspired, awakens them. We cannot close thi:; chapter without a few words of appreciation for those members of the mandali and other devotees, to whose untiring efforts and hard work for days the success of the entire function may be attributedPublic gatherings of this sort are made so often and in many different places to celebrate one big occasion or the other, and gigantic crowds of lacs or at times millions do gather in one place where elaborate arrangements are made on much larger and more gigantic scales to serve the needs of the lacs, An actual city was built recently at Haripura for the last Congress Sessions, with splendid arrangements of every sort for lacs that were expected and had gathered. Sever al miles of area was covered to arrange the Grand In ternational Exposition at Paris which was visited by millions. These are only two events out of numerous others, mentioned here for reference, out of numerous others of the similar sort. But while ali these organisations have a great and substantial support of 'finance at their back, and millions are at times Right thinking will produce right living
SRI BABA'S 44th BIRTHDAY
11
spent in organising these, here, in this case of a Spiritual Master and his Ashrama, whose gospel of teaching is simplicity and economy of even the bare necessities; of life, it has all to be managed within a certain limit of estimate which would be quite insignificant and practically impo<>Sible for any organisation of a similar sort outside these precincts. Yet these have been undertaken and managed for years, thanks indeed to the grace, guidance and help of the great Masters whose eyes watch on all these and inspire their devotees to work so lovingly, strenuously in the sacred Cause, in humble service to hurnanity at large and to their brother and sisters-in-faith in particular. And had it not been for the beautiful spirit of enthusiasm in rendering voluntary ervices and the loâ&#x20AC;˘1ing co-operation amongst the workers in differents departments, the entire function would not have been the success that it was and that amazed the visitors, who really wondered how things for so big a gathering could be arranged on a desolate spot like this which has nothing but barren rocks and open space for miles around, with the town of Abmednagar six miles away. Temporary structures-mandaps and Shamianas - of different sizes were erected to accomodate the big crowds during the days of festivities-small sheds and tents for their stay and rest, big shamianas for the big crowds during the gatherings and musical entertainments. Besides, a special shed was erected to serve as kitchen. and another attached to it to serve as a dining ball. Among the chief workers m this year's function may be mentioned a few outstanding name s, whose untiring labour of love for days together gave the function the smoothness and success it had, A. R. Irani (Shri Baba's cousin and popularly known as "Pendu", in charge of the Meherabad colony since 1930) was the principal worker and head of all dep;utments, who worked strenuously for days with sleepless nights to make everything possible for the convenience of the visitors¡ His father and Baba's uncle-Massaji-was another hardworker who had the kitchen and cooking department in charge with half a dozen other voluntary workers, !ranis and parsis, whose very hard and trying work inside and out of the kitchen for three days particularly was also praisewort3y_ The cooking, under such expert and able hand like Massaji, was a treat splendid, and it was a treat indeed for the visitors who relished the different dishes served (all vegetables of course) with such taste and apprec iation _ Massaj1's Clean thinking wi\l produce a clean life
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MEHE£( GAZETTE
work, in spite of his advanced age of about 70 and his failing health, is indeed worthy of a special note. Among other names worth-men· tioning are those of Sarosh K. Irani of the Sarosh Motor Works Ltd., of Ahmednagar, Kaka Cbinchorekar the worthy Chairman of the Ahmednagar Municipality, Mr· Noshi Satha, a selfless worker, silent yet well-known in Ahmednagar· The timely and valuable help of all these in arranging the supplies and a hundred and one things needed on the spot for such a big gathering and function also requires special mention. Vishnu, one of Shri Baba's private secretaries and also in charge of special duties-to help Pendu in particular, worked, as he always does on such occasions, untiringly for days with sleepless nights and needs no special mention. Adi K· Sarosh Irani, Babu and Murli Kale, and Sidhu from amongst the mandali also worked very hard to help generally in different departments. Baba's brother, Ja!, continually drove to and from the station, conveying the visitors arriving and leaving by trains· Nowroji Talati, m charge of the decoration department as usual, did proper justice to his work in making the show as attractive as possible. Besides many others from amongst the mandali and even outsiders, all co-operated and helped spontaneously whenever and wherever they could. X
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One can hardly imagine how Shri Baba worked, for days at a stretch, supervising every detail, with his advice and instructions in everything, besides looking after the convenience of each, . giving "darshana" and interviews etc. What physical strain it all had on his person, he alone knew. To the observers, it was too astounding, and unthinkable. It is due simply to the Infinite powers of his Being, His unbounded Love to make all happy in His presence with His loving, soothing words of advi:::e and guidance, that His physical frail frame could stand the infinite strain of all this that simply amazed all. Rising as early as 4 o·clock every morning, and retiring for rest neariy at midnight, after everyone of the visitors had gone to bed, for days, He worked with an energy, enthusiasm and Love that were both a delight and wonder for everyone to behold, that inspired everyone to work and give a helping hand in anything one . could find and that went to make the entire function a graed success it became· The spirit of co-operation and help in making the function successful was marvellous and characteristic of the love and fellow· It is mental penury that makes us poor
SRI MEHER BABA
13
feeling of a human brotherhood as created by the Master of souls, who brought them all together as children of the same family. irrespective of caste, colour or creed, and in spite of a world of difference in their natures and opinions in life outside here. Almost the entire staff of workers was voluntary, who spontaneously offered their services, and each seemed to vie with the other in rendering service to the Cause of their beloved Master whose auspicious birthday they wanted to celebrate with the best that a spirit of co-operation, love and service could bring. It was simply wonderful to watch them all work so lovingly and well almost throughout the day and till late at night-a practical proof and demonstration of the spirit of selfless and loving service to others, worthy of the great Lo\·e and inspiring teaching of the Master, that would give credit to a.ny institution or organisation for public service.
SHRI MEHER BABA
(Biographical sketch) (By Dr. C. D. Deshmukh, M.A., Ph.D.)
The spiritual career of Shri Meher Baba begins with ·his momentous visit to Babajan in 1911, when he was a student in Deccan College at Poona. This meeting brought about a spiritual transformation of his consciousness. In 1914, Baba's absorption in Truth-Consciousness led to his being completely unconscious of the things of this world; and he remained in this state of unconsciousness for nine months. After this he saw many saints and Masters (including Tajuddin Baba of Nagpur) until he met Shri Sad guru U pasani Maharaj who helped him to come to normal consciousness through a long period of seven years. In 1921, Baba retaining his God-consciousness regained his normal knowledge of the world and became a Perfect Master• The early period of Baba's life as a Master can be conveniently divided into three parts according to the places where he lived e. g. (1) The hut on the Fergusson College Road, Poona. (2) Manzil-e-Meem, at Dadar, Bombay, and (3) Meherabad (Arangaon), Ahamadnagar. The hut and the Manzi! stay were devoted to the training of the Mandali for an arduous spiritual life, while at Meherabad a new colony was established. The most interesting features of the Meherabad Colony were ( 1) The Me her Charitable Hospital and Dispensary, (2) The Hazarat Babajan School and (3) Meher Ashram (a boarding house for students) The man who would succeed must think success
14
MEHER GAZETTE
one particular branch of weich was meant for the spiritual awakening of selected candidates. Baba also took personal interest in the upliftment of the depressed classes, and among the Hindu Mandli even the caste distinctions came to be abolished. From July lOth 1925, Baba began to observe silence although the use of the present alphabet-board for communication came later in 1927. His silence continues upto this day, and as has been well expressed by C. B. Purdom in his book, The Perfect Master, his silence serves the purpose of "concentrating the Libido" and involves "more complete control over expression and a much more highly concentrated direction of psychic energies than is to be found by other means." One of the most interesting characteristics of Baba's life is that he frequently retires into seclusiou and observes long fasts. In the beginning of 1929 he retired in seclusion in a cave in the Tiger Valley at Panchgani, and later in the same year in a specially constructed hut at Hervan in Kashmir. In August 1932, he retired in a cave at Assissi which is closely associated with the name of St· Francis, and in January 1933, in a room ot Budhist Temple at Bandravella (Ceylon), and again in July 1934, on a mountain at Zurich· In June 1935, he again retired in seclusion for six weeks, in a beautiful little cave on the hill Ambika on Mount Abu, and even after his return to Meherabad the period of seclusion continued for several months· These periods of seclusion are periods of intensive spiritual working on the higher planes· Baba's several visits to the West caused a great stir in the intellectual circles as well as in the general public and even in the \Vest. Baba is a tremendous influence for hundreds of asr;irants who love and follow him with unswerving faith. Wherever Baba went, he was received with spontaneous enthusiasm and warm hearts. And further, apart from the Visits of disciples like Nelhlms and Sadhu Leik, a party of European disciples came to India in 1933 with the express purpose of coming into contact with Baba, And in December 1936 as well as in January 1937, some other groups of American and European disciples, men and women, came to India to avail themselves of an arduous spiritual life under the guidance of Baba in the newly built Meher Retrea.t of Nasik· Every one may not be able to grasp the entire significance of Baba's work on the higher planes, the special interest which he takes in the 'Masts' or the God-intoxicated persons as at Meherabad and his activities thrpugh his spiritual agents who an~ dispersed in various countries. And the various miracles and instances of healing performed Face life in the right way
SRI MEHER BABA
15
by him will also yield their full significance only to those whom they directly affected, But the true signific:1nce of Baba's Mission is not to be understood in the light of the miracles of this type• The real miracle which he has performed is the spiritual awakening which he has given to many persons who have come into contact with him- In one of his interviews Baba has himself said. 'The only real miracle' for a Perfect One is to make others Perfect too, to make them realise the infinite state. which he himself enjoys· OthP.rwise miracles have nothing to do with Truth at all· ' (From the 'Independent')
SRI MEHER BABA
(by Countess Nadia Tolstoy)
"Meher Baba's Silent Method To Heal, To Redeem, To Resurrect Is Love" [Countess Nadia Tolstoy is the daughter-in-law of the great Russian writer Cc;unt Leo Tolstoy. She was married to his son Count Illya Tolstoy. They settled in America where they remained for eighteen years. Count lllya, writer and lecturer, was called to the United States to direct his father's well-known spiritual film called "Resurrection" which was producted by Cecil D~ Mille in Hollywood. He died in New York in 1934. Countess Nadia made her studies in the University of Petrograd, and completed her vocal trainin5 at the Conservatory of Moscow. She speaks four languages-Russian, German. French and English. She met Shri Meher Baba in 1931 in Harmon, New York, and ever since has been his devout follower· She i" a student of mystical and esoteric philosophy and has dedicated her whole life to the Master whom she worshi(ls. She has had the most wonderful inner experiences which have revealed to her the greatest good through the power of the divine love of the Master- This has been, in her life, pure mystical help and practical guidanceAt present she has just completed the translation into Russian of the recent book "The Perfect Master" {The Life of Shri Meher Baba), by C. B. Purdom of London.
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Get into a prosperous mental attitude
16
MEHER GAZETTE
Countess Tolstoy loves the East, especially India as the land of Saints and spirituality. She feels that the dream of her life is fulfilled by being here serving "The Greatest Master of This Age," as she calls Shri Meher Baba.] The I if~ of the God-man in Meherbad, is as vast as life in its own exp':lriment is. He operates in it in every phase in evolution· He operates in it as life that awakens in Being, the alive spark· He works in it as man who redeems• He reacts in everyone in experience· He readjusts in all in reaction, in its own decaying state, whether nature or human life· In its own forthdriving Being he realizes in man the deep unfathomable fate· His life is real and simple in the fundamental act, He creates in conscious Being-Order, in alive divine existence. resurrection· He does the work of truth in expansion in consciousness· He brings to fulfilment the new human being whose new life is to be One All Pure Expansion in Being. He, here in Meherabad, has done to us who came to Him unconscious in BEING, the new awakening. He has given in us the new proof in evidence in Him, being unconditional in Christ existence in divine compassion. His life is as executive as the life of the most modern He can, what no scientist, that in Rays throws divine life into matter. When He designs in BEINGman can. He has to be seen executive· ORDER, a man that has no mind, or a sane man inert in want to realize the truth, He does His work through the external experiment and the inner alive BEING functions simultaneously. He drives into man in mind, the pure aim to fulfill life as truth and not as individual experience in self-satisfaction· He drives out of m'ln the impressions accumulated throughout centuries of reincarnations that has to be given over in Him and consciously resigned in will in BEING, and in will in Mind. When in the early hours of the day we see Him walk down the hill where He resides, in Meherabad, he goes to work· He goes to see His own creation• Unfathomable in lightness, unconcerned in experience in human form He walks through life, using this small field of operation He redeems, here, to speed the function in every order of evolution. He promotds, He stirs, He heals.
God-mad Men Here in Meherabad, we can witness Him in action, in function, in every department in life. From here out, all over the world, he Thoughts are magnets
SRI MEHER BABA
17
directs a huge community of men and women in need of divine enlighten. ment. We can see in proof, in evidence, His work of unfathomable creation-power, when in the small Mad-Asylum in Meherabad He creates new impetus in BEING to the be-nighted mind of His God-mad-men. He can, what no science of our age is known to be able to achieve. In this small settlement reside His socalled God -mad-men· Stilled in the indivisible intuition-state, these creatures lingering in their BEING in struggle on the path of divine fulfilment, with mind infusion they have lost their way to the divine beloved· These damages in spiritual evolution Shri Meher Baba alone knows how to repair· He gathers these fiery souls out of the desolated roads in life and from the unconscious qua! ters in finite mind, He draws their souls close. He sends for them through His own men-disciples, these strong fellows pertaining to His crew of working individuals· They go out for them, searching day and night• They hunt these loafing selves in dispute with life erring in desperate longing for God, in streets of the big cities. They find them in crossways, passages, lying unconscious on doorsteps, sitting dumb and dull in some shady spot, helped occasionally by those who, conscious in suffering, feeling compassion for the need· They find them here and there, where men have more or less faith, because in them God's warning gives fear! These staunch disciples of Shri Meher Baba that life has beaten up into real good selfless human beings, find these rare experi· ments of life consuming condition of mad-man, their own evolution, They are as rare as those pure souls ready to consciously realize in Him the fulfilment of Truth in Union.
It is astounding how these faithful hunters-of-souls find them out. They judge in ways that are unusual to men in ordinary life. They can adjust confidence in them who do not fear when one of these good unselfish men approaches them, touches them. They accept unprejudiced a cup of tea, a piece of sweetmeat. No discourse is offered to them to lure them out of their desolation. The soul Director iitands right there, near Who by directs the play, ..... They cannot resist, they have to follow. else would care for them? Who knows, who helps but Him, who sees the soul, who offers free to every order in consciousness the unfathomable Light, the new will to fulfil ; and who has compassion. They are brought to Meherabad, these great warriors of life in divine fulfilment, victims of evolution in its own work where the "Reparation-Master" is waiting for them, Here He repairs the divin ~ damage and fulfils the unfathomaqle fate. He does it in anyone, Optimism is a builder.
18
MEHER GAZETTE
whether in good or less good conditions, Reacting in BEING, He realises in the human creature in BEING, HIMSELF as the vision in life as the plan of Law, as Truth, as God. Those blind minds often see in Him what we in Him will see, conscious in BEING, in Truth, when resurrected from ignorance to divine KNOWING- ORDER.
The Healing Bath Shri Meher Baba's silent method to heai, to redeem• to resurrect i:; Love; when he applies His help He does simple and real things. He washes their bodies ! Every day He renews the holy bath· It is performed in the simplest bath·room man can possibly erect for practical use . It is made of straw matting_s which form four walls ; it is hygenic because it is airy, it lets in light, and at the same time it maintains coolness. The floor is of stonE>, immaculately clean ; the hot and cold water is brought in shining brass vessels; these are washerl and disinfected before and after they are used. H nge reserves of water are heated hours ahead on a wooden fire in a special kitchen, that kitchen is not used for other puroses than for the bath, that has to heal ! Those few faithful men who are endowed with this humble duty• take off their shoes, and wash their hands over and over again before they bring this plain water before Him, who will filter it through His divine Grace of love and transform it into the immune-making medicine. Immune is His divine act• Hi3 touch is Pure. His work is not the work in mind, it is worked in divine substance, it becomes fluid and acts real and good, There He stands like a giant throwing in and taking out, making good; having the unclean water of the unconscious sinner fall over His feet! He washes every day twenty-four of them, the E>ffort seems to us superhuman.
tt is a wonder of untold humility, this work of Shri Meher Baba among these destitute in mind. He shaves their heads whilE: manipulating their deaf inner ear, stirring in intuition their unconscious individual "I". The external means to awaken may be anything, the smallest action can produce the ultimate result. He puts on their clothes ; He humours their unconscious whims. He feels through their inarticulate manners in talk their needs ; what their instinct wants, what iu BEING in intuition they long for. He sits near them in communion in Love, pressing them against H :s universal heart. holding them up high that may face Light and unfold unhampered! He is supreme in beauty. in compassion, when He senses in them pain, anguish, struggle. He helps in ways we cannot see, but suddenly a laugh springs out of that poor Pessimism is negative.
•
SRI MEHEl't BABA
19
dumb thing a little way tc lean closer on him, a small sigh in tranquil merry mood comes forth ...... he· The huge Sun of Truth, in them reacts visibly, that spectacle indeed is evidence of truth of his science of Goodness· When he invites us to see h;m go through the whole procession ,of these healing function it is because he wants us to realise within ourselves the excutive importance of his life in selfless service. He demonstrates ...... and that is his teathi1tg· It is indeed alive Jesuswork in every day's life.
Divine Work To bring HifO teachings to fulfilment in our own human being, He needs us to follow the example of hi!: divine work. We must see humility, compassion, tolerance in example. in real practice and then in us the experience will realisr these virtues we so desperately need· We have to see it when He takes from their ali\·e bodies the day's dirt, and when He cleans their latrines. He takes these pails in which their mud has accumulated, after twenty-four hours' use, with His own hands and returns it to earth. Outside of the Mad· man's Ashram, further off in a barren field is a hole, there He leaves the refuse that it may be absorbed by creation, over a.nd over turneq into good pure manure for use in some further way. So he turns out and over all in life. Life that He governs is used by Him, and through Him for divine purpose. Life in Him is safe. He can in man what no man can. Life, as divine order of BEING in man is valuable, that priceless BEING-ORDER He can maintain. He takes in all, as it is, and realises in it life unfathomable which is unconditional in Goodness. These benighted minds in the Godmad-men He knows how to realise in Truth in spite of the non-function· ing mind. He uses life with mind of no mi1td to fulfil the spiritual plan of life. He can realise Truth in BEING ORDER in any decaying state of the human body, good or bad. He can resurrect the spark in BEING in its original existence . Some of these rare ones among the Mad-men are pure and free within, these in a second's moment He may send ofT to highest consciousness, keeping in suspense the decision to re-establish their grossconsciousness in mind. He may also judge it best to never repair the damaged mind. From the standpoint of the ulitimate Truth it is only important to fulfil in BEING in Truth, and it is unimportant to live in BEING in mind ! Those released souls without mind, although living in the plane of life in mind, in whatever state they may be, endure in self-less sacrifice in their own benighted mind, the Truth proce~s in evaPessimism destroys vitality.
20
MEHER GAZETTE
1ution. He knows how to use them. fulfilment and that is safe outcome.
He uses them for the ultimate
Others among these foolish happy birds He may repair .in a few months, returning them to life in action, making them experience, making them work ...... with re-adjusted conscience, filled with new energy, new living truth impulse; these, although He returns them to life, will never forget Him, never feel to be without him. Once the alive conscious contact with the Perfect One is established, man is safe. These experiments we witness in the little Ashram in Meherabad where He createt through executive fucction and directs the show. That mind that governs is pure, therefore all results clear and clean, all is done orderly and in perfect time. The helping hands doing the lower labour perform unselfish and loving, therefore everything appears easy and right and light.
Mad-Ashram, Unfathomable wisdom as science of life, devotion manifesting in every function in life, unselfish service as the pure act. of service unselfconscious in its practice and within it LOVE, the pure universal fluid that does the wonder, constitute the prev:zlent virtues put into praptice of this unique Mad Ashram. It is indeed an ideal organization that does provide happiness, health and comfort rare of its kind. Within the boundaries of Meherabad, men of all types can join and rejoice in love their lonesome longing lives. They can dissolve prejudic,es in mind in indivisible BEING-ORDER in love impersonal. They can renew in mind the outlook that every fate is alive. They can realize that within differences of opinion is Truth, making new the old ways to realize Truth. They can awaken in heart, in wise knowing, and become the new humankind that will realize within, the way to Salvation. Here can assemble races and cr~eds of alJ different orders and unite in the "only faith" that in experience wilJ be the real Jive religion for ALL. We need Shri Meher Baba ! [The Mahratta.]
Pesiimiem strangles growth.
21 THOUGHTS FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE 1 He who gets control over the mind gets everything under control2 He who has completely brought his mind under control is a true yogi路 3 The Grace of a God-realized Master worl<s wonders, but one must extort this Grace from Him.
4 He who loves his :;piritual Master for the sake of love, ever intent on giving it and never desirous of receiving it, is a true lover路
(Sri Baba)
MEHER ASRAMAM Saidapet, (Madras) 1 Members of Meher League may assemble here and spend some time in meditation. They meditate and practise the virtue of Perseverance in March Contentment in April Courtesy in May and Compassion in June.
2 Earnest spiritual aspirants may go there and spend some time in that quiet place under the tree planted by the Master路 3 At present the offices of 'Said a pet Rate Payers' Association', 'Municipal Congress Party' and 'Saidapet Civic Association,' are located here路
MEHER LEAGUE When His Holiness Sri Sadguru Meher Babaji graced Saidapet with His Presence the following resolutions, among others, were passed in His immediate presence : i. That a League called "Meher League" be formed with the object of promoting Universal Brotherhood.
ii. That all persons, who are aged 15 and above might become members of the League. Think the happy thought,
MEHER GAZETTE
22
iii, That the only condition for becoming a member is that he or she should undertake in writing to promote Universal Brotherhood in thought, word and deed. iv. That the League should spread the message of our Divine Lord Meher Babaji viz, Universal Brotherhood• His Holiness Sri Meher Babaji is the patron of the League. President: C· V· Sampath Iyengar, Vice-President: Vadivelu Mudaliar, Treasurer: c. V· Sampath Iyengar, Secretaries: V. T. Lakshmi, M.A. L.T., M, R. A. s. K- S· Srinivasan• [N· B.-Those who wish to join Meher League may apply to.C. V· Sampath (Madras)- India.
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